Sailor Earth
by LittleMissWolfie
Summary: After the demon war, Kagome had no intention of getting herself into any more trouble. Unfortunately, Fate has something else in store for her. Crystal verse, Kagome-centric.
1. Prologue

**Welcome to the first chapter of Sailor Earth! This takes place during/after Usagi's dream in the beginning of the first episode, for time references. I hope you enjoy this and I'll see you at the end of the chapter!**

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><p><em>Prologue: Earth Kingdom<em>

_~Silver Millenium~_

_Terre stood in the shadows of the castle's sweeping gardens, watching her older brother, the ruler of an entire kingdom, whisper and hold someone forbidden to him. His black hair, much like her own, was shining in the light of the moon that bore the woman he loved, the woman he could never—_should _never—have._

_She was Serenity XIV, Princess of the Moon Kingdom. A year older than herself, Serenity had long, golden hair that she kept tied in a peculiar fashion consisting of pigtails leading out of buns atop her head and curling at the ends. Despite her young age, she had a tall, curved figure, and the sheer clothes worn by her people drew attention to her flawless body. She wore pearly heeled shoes on her feet, but she was still much shorter than Endymion, who was tall even by Moon standards. Her eyes, a shade of blue lighter than Terre's own, sparkled with an affection the Earth princess had yet to feel._

_In a way, Terre was jealous of them. How must it feel, to know who you other half was? To know, everyday when you woke up, that someone loved you the same way you loved them? _

_Despite this, Terre was also wary of Serenity. The Moon Kingdom was matriarchal, and, as far as she knew, the princess was the only heir to the throne. Even if the two kingdoms managed to reconcile the differences for which reasons were still unknown and allowed their people to intermingle once more, one of them would be forced to give up their kingdom. _

_And it would probably be Endymion._

_Terre watched until Serenity bade her lover goodbye, floating back up to the stars in a wayward moonbeam. Endymion stayed still, watching until he could see her no longer, before he turned to return to his rooms._

"_Terre."_

_She jumped, guiltily coming out of her hiding place, the green fabric of her sleeping gown whispering across the cobblestone walkway of the gardens. "I apologize, brother. I was not aware you would be out here."_

_Endymion sighed, motioning for his sister to come to him. "I know what you must be thinking; I am insane for loving her. I cannot help it." He looked moon-wards, and, somehow, he knew Serenity was looking towards Earth, as well. "She is my everything."_

"_My tutor says that kind of devotion is reckless," Terre said._

_Endymion chuckled. "Your tutor is a bitter woman whose husband left her for a woman half his age."_

"_You will never be able to marry her and remain Earth's king."_

"_We'll find a way, my dear sister. True love always finds a way." He placed his large hands on her slim shoulders, propelling her towards the castle. "Now, the sun is beginning to rise, and we will be expected to be up shortly after. Off to bed with you, if only for appearances."_

_And Terre decided her brother was too happy to be reasoned with and did as he bade._

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><p><strong>And there you have it! I know the prologue's kinda boring, since it's mostly Terre (Kagome)'s internal thoughts, but these thoughts will be important later on, especially in regards to Kagome's love interest. I hope you'll stick around. See you in the next chapter!<strong>


	2. Chapter 1: Dawn of Tuxedo Mask

Chapter One: Dawn of Tuxedo Mask

**A.N./ To clarify, the nightmare Kagome's waking up from up here is _not_ the prologue. The nightmare is actually a war flashback. Also, since Kagome is the main focus in this story where Usagi is in the show, yes, things will be a little slow for a while. I hope you can stick with me despite this!**

_~Present Day~_

Kagome jerked awake violently, lurching as she sat up in the bed she'd had since childhood. Her pink flower-print pajamas were damp with sweat and her chest heaved with frenzied breaths. It took her a moment to remember that she was safe and sound in her own room, not somewhere in the wilderness in an unfamiliar time with demons hunting her every move. When she calmed down, she pressed the heel of one of her hands to her slick forehead and took a deep, cleansing breath. "Damn that nightmare," she whispered, barely able to even hear herself.

Her bare feet slid out from under the fluffy pink comforter and hit the wooden floor almost silently. She brushed her thick blue-black hair into an acceptable amount of tameness, dressed in her middle school's uniform, and brushed her teeth and washed her face in the bathroom before taking the stairs down to the kitchen to help her mother with breakfast.

It wasn't her mother in the kitchen when she arrived; instead, it was her adoptive brother, Chiba Mamoru, leaning against one of the aged counters and drinking coffee out of a mug. "Good morning, Mamo-nii," she greeted cheerfully, moving to the fridge to retrieve the ingredients for breakfast.

"Good morning," said Mamoru, his blue eyes sparkling with brotherly affection.

"You're up early," she noted.

He ran a hand through his bedridden black hair. "Nightmare, is all."

Kagome grimaced, preparing a pan to fry eggs. "Me too."

Mamoru suddenly went into overprotective-big-brother mode, something that had increased in occurrence since her return from her travels. He stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. "You've been having a lot of those lately. Is something wrong?"

She shrugged him off, ducking under his arm to get to the fridge in order to retrieve eggs. "I'm fine, Mamo-nii. It's nothing major, I promise."

He still looked concerned.

"Geez!" Kagome groaned, cracking the eggs in her hand a bit harder than strictly necessary. "I'm sixteen, Mamo-nii. You don't need to look after me anymore."

"I'm always going to look after you. You're my precious little sister, after all." Mamoru patted her head affectionately, calming her minutely.

"That's all well and good, but get out of the kitchen while I make breakfast. It's too small even without your giant self taking up half of it."

He laughed on his way out the door.

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><p>While Kagome walked home that day, she thought about her life. Now, that might seem a little odd thing for a girl her age to do, but she pondered her life choices quite frequently. A trip to a demon-infested feudal era and having a whole world of people's hopes resting on your shoulders will do that to you, after all.<p>

On her fifteenth birthday, Kagome fell through the well at her family's shrine and ended up in Feudal Era Japan. There, she discovered she was the Shikon Miko, the guardian of the Shikon no Tama, a jewel of immense power. However, she broke it into many, many, many shards (like, it was ridiculous) and had to go on a quest to find them all before an evil demon named Naraku did.

The whole idea of this might seem a bit absurd to some people, but it really happened. Kagome had the scars and the Shikon no Tama to prove it.

After the final battle with Naraku which resulted in several casualties on both sides, Kagome returned to the present time to recollect her life. She wouldn't let her past demons haunt her now.

Her time in the Feudal Era affected her relationships. She'd matured beyond the level of a normal middle school girl, and her friends began to grow distant. Even Hojo, the boy who she'd always likened to a stray dog that kept coming to a person who pet it once, began seeking her out less and less. Before she knew it, her school days were spent solely on studying.

It was all for the better, she figured. Before her little time-traveling stint, her grades were horrible. Now that she had so much free time, she was in the top fifty students at her school. That ranking would surely help her out when applying for high schools that winter.

_Maybe I'll go to Mamo-nii's school,_ she thought to herself. _That way, he'll be able to look after me! But he'll be in college next year… Guess I'll be by myself anyway._

"Hey, you hit me, bump head," said a familiar voice. "Are you going to give me a few bumps, too?"

_Mamo-nii?_ she thought, peering at the tall man who spoke. He certainly had Mamoru's build and hair, but why in the world was he wearing a tuxedo at four in the afternoon? _Does Mamo-nii even_ own _a tuxedo?_

An aggravated female voice replied, "They're not bumps, they're buns! It's a hairstyle!"

"Wow, thirty percent? Better hit the books, Odango Atama."

"Mind your own business!" Suddenly, Kagome saw Maybe-Mamoru freeze, and she heard a feminine gasp. They stood like that for a moment before the girl started to walk away, letting Kagome get a glimpse of her. She saw two bright blond pigtails connected to buns on the top of her head and a uniform she recognized as Juban's.

A sudden throbbing pulsed through Kagome's head, making her stagger momentarily. She vaguely saw the girl come back to retrieve her bag, but her mind was focused on the image of a pure white castle against a dark sky.

Like that, it was suddenly gone, leaving Kagome with an unpleasant, empty feeling.

Maybe-Mamoru stood in place as the girl walked away, shouting something about conceited people wearing tuxedos in the afternoon, and Kagome felt an ache in her chest. She wondered why.

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><p>It was late that night, too late for anyone who had any common sense to be wandering around, when Kagome woke to a loud bang coming from Mamoru's room. She quickly slipped her feet from under her warm covers and padded her way down the hall to his door. "Mamo-nii?" she called, knocking on the wood slightly. "Are you okay?"<p>

A tense pause. Then, "I'm fine, Kagome. Go back to bed."

"Are you sure?"

"Geez, Kagome, I'm seventeen. I don't need you to look after me." Kagome was sure he meant it to sound mocking, his repeating what she told him that very morning, but it came off as terse and angry.

"Okay, Mamo-nii. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Kagome."

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><p><em>The smell of wet fur…wet noses nuzzling her stomach…a rough, calloused, warm hand on her cheek…<em>

Kagome couldn't help but feel a bit mixed the next morning. While the dream had been lovely, it also made her remember his death, and that wasn't something she wanted to relive.

She heard heavy footsteps on the stairs, quickly recognizing them as Mamoru's. After all, he was the only one who was that loud when he walked. She spun from her place washing rice over the sink to watch him stagger through the kitchen's doorway, looking quite haggard.

Kagome immediately abandoned her breakfast-making and rushed to him. "Mamo-nii? What's wrong? You look like you didn't sleep at all?"

"That's because I didn't," he ground out between clenched teeth. "I need coffee."

"I'll make it—you sit down." She busied herself with preparing his coffee. "What kept you up?"

"Those dreams are coming back, Kagome. The ones about the princess."

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><p>As Kagome walked to school that morning, she mulled over her brother's words. He'd grown quiet after his admission, refusing to answer her questions. <em>Mamo-nii has never done that before…<em>

Lost in thought as she was, she didn't notice the girl in front of her until they collided. "I'm sorry," she immediately said, knowing she was to blame. She stood and offered a hand to the person she crashed into.

Light blue eyes framed with glasses looked at her gratefully. The girl accepted her hand and heaved her body up, Juban's uniform skirt bouncing with the movement. "Thank you," she said, brushing a strand of short blue hair out of her eyes. She glanced at her watch, eyes widening slightly. "I apologize for my rudeness, but I have to go now."

"Don't worry," Kagome assured, "it was my fault we fell, anyway."

"Thank you again." The girl bowed and ducked around Kagome, running the way Kagome ran before she ever actually ran from anything. She missed those days.

Kagome continued her way to school, completely missing the heading of a newspaper a man on a bench was reading as she passed.

**SAILOR V'S COMRADE? A NEW SAILOR SENSHI SPOTTED IN TOKYO! AND WHO IS THE MAN IN THE TUXEDO? TURN TO PAGE 9 TO READ FIRST HAND ACCOUNTS!**


	3. Chapter 2: A Face Both New and Familiar

**Chapter Two: A Face Both New and Familiar**

**A.N/ Welcome back to another chapter! There's a little more plot in this chapter, but not by much. I hope you enjoy irregardless!**

"What's a Sailor Senshi?" Kagome asked during breakfast a few days later, catching a headline of a newspaper her grandfather was reading.

He scoffed in a way very familiar to the Higurashi family as he folded the paper back up. "They're these young girls running around in indecent sailor uniforms fighting 'evil.' There's two of 'em now."

"Geez, Nee-chan," Souta groaned, staring at her with dark, wide eyes. "Don't you watch the news anymore? Sailor V and Sailor Moon are all over the place!"

"Now, Souta," placated Mama Higurashi. "Kagome is preparing for her entrance exams. You can't fault her for focusing on her studies, right, Mamoru?"

Mamoru, who'd been rather subdued throughout their morning meal, suddenly jolted in his seat, as if startled. "Uh, right, Okaa-san."

"Mamo-nii, are you okay?" Sota leaned over the table and all the food on it to peer at his older brother's face. "You're kinda out of it."

"I'm fine, Souta. I just haven't been sleeping very well lately."

"Oh!" exclaimed Mama. "Look at the time! Off to school, you three! I won't have any of you be truants!"

"Yes," chorused the three students. In a practiced move, they quickly cleared the table of their plates and utensils, preparing to leave.

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><p>Kagome never even knew the arcade existed until that day on her way home from school.<p>

There, staring her in the face, was a poster advertising a Sailor V game. She found it quite ironic that she would find it so shortly after learning of the young vigilante. Thinking it a sign of fate, whose hands were prone to meddling with her life, she walked into the foreign building with some trepidation.

The first thing she noticed was the crowd of boys ranging from ten to nineteen gathered around a certain Sailor V machine. They were all cheering and hollering in a way she hadn't heard since the many war councils held by Sesshomaru in the past.

An almost familiar voice rang out above the clamor of the men. "Yay! Good job, Ami-chan!"

A clank. Then, "A pen?"

The first voice returned. "I want one too!" The machine started to shake violently until Kagome heard another clank. "Yay! I got one! Can I keep it, Motoki-niichan?"

The crowd began to disperse, as the game had apparently ended, and Kagome was finally able to catch a glimpse of the two girls. One, she noticed, was the blue-haired girl from a few days previous, and the other had long blonde hair that she recognized from the girl who had an argument with Maybe-Mamoru.

Deciding fate had led her here for a reason, Kagome stepped forward and plastered a smile on her face. "Hello, again," she called.

The blue-haired girl started at the sound of her voice. She stared at Kagome for a moment before her eyes sparked with recognition. "Oh! You're the girl who helped me off the street a few days ago!"

"Only after I knocked you down," I joked, moving closer. "I didn't even introduce myself! I'm Higurashi Kagome."

The blue-haired girl smiled. "I'm Mizuno Ami."

"And I'm Tsukino Usagi!" her companion broke in eagerly, seeming almost desperate for attention. "Kagome-san, you're really pretty!"

Kagome turned red, surprised by the compliment. "Th-thank you, Tsukino-san."

"Call me Usagi! You too, Ami-chan!" At the second part, she glanced at Ami, who was still sitting on the game stool.

"Okay, Usagi-san."

Usagi cheered and fist pumped.

Ami glanced at her watch and gasped slightly. "I'm late for Crystal Seminar. I'm sorry I have to leave so suddenly, Usagi-san, Kagome-san."

Usagi waved enthusiastically as Ami left, leaving her alone with Kagome. "What year are you in, by the way?" Usagi asked, round blue eyes filled to the brim with curiosity. "I don't recognize your uniform."

"I'm a third year at a middle school not far from here. I should be in high school by now, but I was held back a year because I missed so much school."

"Why'd you miss school?"

Kagome smiled softly, remembering the circumstances of her absences. "I was traveling around Japan for a long time."

Usagi sighed dreamily. "Oh, I bet that was fun! I wish I could do something interesting like that!"

A sudden meow startled both girls, causing them to look at the floor of the arcade. A black cat with a yellow crescent on its forehead stared back at them with dark red eyes. They were intelligent, unlike most animals. Kagome immediately felt uneasy. The only time she'd seen animals with such intelligent eyes was when they were about to transform into massive demons and try to kill her.

Instead of voicing this concern, she asked, "They allow cats in here?"

"Luna!" Usagi lifted the cat into her arms. "This is my cat. Motoki-niisan lets me bring her in here sometimes. She's very well behaved, so he doesn't mind." She looked at Luna with slight irritation. "She probably wants to go home. Bye, Kagome-chan!" She waved cheerily at Kagome even as she exited the arcade, resulting in her tripping over a crack in the sidewalk and crashing into the pavement.

Kagome could only stare in amazement at the display of complete and utter gracelessness.

She was so absorbed in wondering how someone could be so clumsy that she didn't notice the demonic presence rushing up behind her until a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her from the floor. "Nee-chan!"

Kagome's eyes widened at the familiar voice. She turned around in the arms holding her and was met with a face she thought she'd never see again. "Ginta!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around the wolf demon's neck. "You're still alive?"

He laughed heartily, refusing to let her go. "I'm a wolf demon, Nee-chan! We don't die that easily!"

Tears welled in Kagome's eyes. She buried her face in his warm neck, smelling the scent that so often calmed her in the past. "I missed you so much."

His large, warm hand patted her head comfortingly. "Hey, I missed you too. So did Hakkaku and the rest of the tribe."

"They're still around, too?!"

"I'm right here, Nee-chan."

Kagome's head whipped around to see Hakkaku's grinning face, still tan and worn. "Hakkaku!" Ginta released his hold on her so she could be enveloped in the newcomer's arms. "I missed you!"

"We all missed you, Nee-chan."

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><p>The three moved to a nearby café to continue their reunion. Both demons kept touching her—running fingers through her hair, rubbing circles on her hands—as if disbelieving of the fact that she was actually there with them.<p>

"So the tribe's still all together?"

"Yeah," Ginta said, sipping out of a glass of cola. "Ayame took over after...after you left. Get this—she mated _Sesshomaru_."

Kagome did a spit take, dousing the table in front of her with the water that was just in her mouth. "What?"

Hakkaku chuckled at her reaction. "Yeah, we were all shocked, too. She named their first daughter after you and their first son after Kouga."

Kagome's eyes dimmed slightly at her lover's name. "Do you guys…?"

Ginta and Hakkaku suddenly became solemn. "Actually, Nee-chan," Ginta began.

"We have a suspicion that Kouga's already been reincarnated."

Kagome's heart lifted, then sank. They only had a suspicion, meaning they weren't sure Kouga was back. Even if he was, he probably didn't remember anything from his past life—she didn't remember her life as Kikyou. She shouldn't be getting her hopes up. "Who do you think it is?"

"We don't know his name yet," Hakkaku continued. "He's a first year student at a high school a district over. He looks and acts just like him."

"Will you guys…?"

Ginta reached over and tousled her hair. "We'll keep an eye on him for you, Nee-chan. Hey, you have a cell phone? We can exchange numbers so we can keep you updated."

"Thank you. Really, it means a lot to me."

Hakkaku laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she leaned into his familiar touch. "We know, Nee-chan. We want him back, too."

"Man," Ginta said, suddenly cheery. "The tribe's gonna be so excited to learn you're alive! We all thought you died with Kouga back then."

"He pushed me through the well before…"

Hakkaku shook his head. "You don't have to tell us what happened, Nee-chan. It must have been hard for you. Don't make yourself relive it."

"Kagome?"

Kagome spun in her seat at the sound of her brother's voice. "Mamo-nii? What are you doing here?"

Mamoru eyed the two wolf demons warily. "I was walking home from school and I saw you through the window. Who're your friends?"

"Oh! Hakkaku, Ginta, this is my older brother, Mamoru. Mamo-nii, these are Hakkaku and Ginta, two of the people I traveled with."

When Kagome began time traveling, the Higurashi family knew Mamoru wouldn't be able to understand its magic. While he had been at the shrine for a long while, the others were all born and raised there. They knew not to question fate. So, instead of admitting what was really going on, they told him Kagome had been specially selected to travel Japan with a group of trustworthy companions. The school, however, had accepted this story much less readily, leading them to be more harsh on Kagome's absences, which resulted in her being held back a year.

Even after Kagome's introduction, Mamoru seemed uneasy around her two old friends. "It's nice to meet you," he said in a forced-polite tone. "Thank you for taking such good care of my sister during your travels."

"It's no problem!" Ginta said, rolling with the lie. "We haven't seen her in so long, we just had to take her out!"

"We're sorry if we kept her out late," Hakkaku continued.

"You didn't," Kagome assured. "I should probably get heading home soon though. Let's exchange numbers before I go."

"Yeah!" the wolves chorused. A few minutes later, Kagome had both of their numbers programmed into her phone, and hers into both of theirs.

"See you later!" she called as she and Mamoru walked away. They both waved enthusiastically.

The siblings walked in silence for a while. About halfway to the shrine, Mamoru spoke up. "Those two men seemed a little old to be traveling with a teenage girl."

You have no idea, Mamo-nii, Kagome thought wryly. Aloud, she said, "Not really. Some of the others were even older, and two of the travelers were under ten. It was a cross-generational group."

"Why did you look like you were about to cry?"

She shook her head. "I was just so happy to see them I started to cry."

Mamoru cut her a look that said he didn't believe her, but he remained silent.

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><p>Two days later, a new headline appeared in Grandfather's daily newspaper.<p>

**A THIRD SENSHI APPEARS! WHO IS THE WARRIOR CLAD IN BLUE AND HOW DOES SHE CONNECT TO SAILOR V AND SAILOR MOON? TURN TO PAGE 8 FOR** **EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS.**


	4. Chapter 3: The Faintest Hint of a Memory

**Chapter Three: The Faintest Hint of a Memory**

**A.N/ Here y'all go! Now, there's a bit of a cliffhanger at the end of this chapter and, because the next chapter is _INSANELY _long (like, nineteen pages and over eight thousand words long), I'm gonna be mean and not post it until the weekend. This will also give me a change to rewrite the chapter after that which, quite frankly, is disgustingly disappointing to me. Also, please note that the only person I have editing and making comments on this has never actually _seen_ Sailor Moon, so if any of you guys see something weird (aside from what is obviously created by me), don't feel shy to tell me about it in a review. I won't be mad, promise!**

**NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE  
>PLEASE READ THE ENDING AUTHOR'S NOTE. IT IS IMPORTANT. SORT OF.<strong>

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><p>"The Demon Six P.M. Bus?" Kagome questioned, a hint of irritation in her voice. "You call me after almost a year of no contact, saying that you want to be close again, and this is all you want to talk about?"<p>

Eri, one of Kagome's friends from before her travels, had called her a few days ago after school, asking her to meet with her at a park near her high school. Her face flushed at Kagome's accusation, wiggling slightly under her stare.

"I really do want to be your friend again, Kagome-chan," she pleaded. "I'm sorry we stopped talking when you started traveling, but you were gone so often, we were on completely different pages when you were actually around. And you got so mature…"

"But all you've talked about is some stupid urban legend."

"But it's not an urban legend! A little girl was taken near a shrine close to here only a few days ago! There's a priestess there a few years younger than us, and she's getting blamed for it by some parents."

Kagome was personally affronted. "No priestess would ever abduct a child. Either she's a horrible person or these parents lack judgement."

Eri continued speaking. "I went to the shrine on New Year's with Hojo-kun, and I met her. She was really pretty and she was kind. She was mature, kinda like you, you know. I don't think she'd be able to kidnap a little girl."

"There you have it. The girl is innocent."

"Actually...I was wondering if you could go check the shrine out for me?"

Kagome shot her old friend an incredulous look. "You called me out here for a favor? What gives you the right to ask anything of me?"

Eri pouted like a child. "The others and I aren't the only ones responsible for our drifting apart. You could've made an effort to stay friends with us, too, you know."

Kagome had no answer to that.

Eri sighed and lifted herself up from the bench they were sitting on. "Even if you don't believe in the Demon Six P.M. Bus, I think you should check the shrine out. If not for my sake, then for you to meet another priestess your age. Despite what you may think, I still care about you." Her eyes softened as they landed on Kagome's. "I don't want you to be lonely. I want you to be happy, even if I'm not around to see it."

Kagome couldn't say anything as she watched one of the girls she once called one of her best friends walked away.

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><p>Since she was already out and she had no other plans, Kagome decided to stop by the shrine Eri was talking about. Following the instructions of a passerby she met while she left the park, it only took her about fifteen minutes on foot to reach her destination.<p>

When she got there, Kagome was surprised to find both Usagi and her cat at the bottom of the shrine's steps. The blonde girl raced up the steps, bouncing with glee, and the cat followed.

Amused, Kagome began her trek up, too. The stairs would wind a normal person, but between her time in the feudal era and her own home being a shrine, Kagome hardly felt the burn in her calves as she climbed.

When she reached the top, she found Usagi being attacked by crows. Before she could race to help the younger girl, the person she presumed to be the priestess Eri had told her about came out of the shrine proper, wielding a talisman. "Evil spirit, be exorcised!" she yelled, throwing the talisman at Usagi.

Kagome moved on instinct. She quickly wedged herself between the purification talisman and Usagi, catching the white slip of paper in her fist before it could hit her forehead. She felt the comforting purifying magic radiate down her arm and to her chest.

The priestess, a girl Kagome thought to be around Usagi's age, flushed. "Oh!" she said, rushing towards the two of them and pointing at Usagi. "You're the girl from the bus!"

After the incident was explained and introductions were made, Kagome finally got a good look at the younger priestess, who had introduced herself as Hino Rei. She had long, dark hair with a purple tint to it, a regal face, and dark purple-red eyes. She was gorgeous, Kagome had to admit.

"I'm very sorry, Usagi-san, Kagome-san. I could have sworn I felt demonic energy."

"It might have been me," Kagome admitted sheepishly. "I live at a shrine, as well, and the Bone Eater's well is on the property. I imagine some residual energy clung to me while I cleaned it out this morning."

"Ehh? Kagome-chan, you're a shrine maiden, too?" Usagi demanded.

Kagome nodded. "I get my powers from my father's side of the family. I'm the primary priestess at the Higurashi Shrine, and my younger brother is training to be a priest under my grandfather."

"You have the Bone Eater's Well?" Rei asked, curious. "I hear it's very dangerous."

"We have many wards both out and inside the well house. No evil demon has passed through it for a long time. My grandfather would have had a fit if one did. He hates demons with a passion."

Rei laughed, a tinkling sound that didn't really suit her serious demeanor. "I can imagine." She lifted one of her slender hands to a crow, which flapped down and clamped its talons onto her index finger. "But, it's very unusual for Phobos and Demios to attack humans."

"Crows can also be attracted to pure things, correct?" Kagome asked, moving closer to look at the bird. "Usagi-chan has a very pure heart. They were probably just attracted to that."

Rei considered this for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, that's probably it."

And then the three girls noticed the women praying, and everything went downhill.

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><p>As Kagome walked home that day, she thought about Rei's words. <em>Spirited away, huh?<em> When she was in the feudal era, she'd dealt with cases of people being spirited away. Most of the time, it was nothing malicious, like villagers thought. The demons just wanted a mate. It wasn't their fault they didn't know how human courting rituals went.

But...she'd never heard of a child being spirited away. Even demons were above that. They never took women under the age of sixteen summers. This was just odd.

With that comforting thought in mind, she hurried back to her home, where she knew she would be safe. Demons liked priestesses most of all, after all, and she wouldn't be taken from a shrine.

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><p>She heard the rumors at school the next day. They were all about missing students and the Demon Six P.M. Bus, and most involved Rei, as well.<p>

These accusations angered Kagome. When she spoke with Rei, she sensed no lies or deception or evil. Rei was a pure girl, a priestess dedicated to her shrine. She would never have taken anyone, let alone a little girl.

As it was, school dragged on that day. With all the excitement, even the teachers were unable to focus, so most of the day was a study hall. To occupy her time, Kagome worked on test preps. She wanted to get into a good high school, after all.

Around third period, which should have been her Japanese Literature class, her phone buzzed in her skirt pocket. When she pulled it out to read the text, she found it was from Ginta.

_Definitely found Kouga's reincarnation. Sent Hakkaku in to talk to him, see if he remembers anything. I'll keep you posted._

The rest of the day flew by and a swarm of butterflies took up residence in her stomach.

* * *

><p>Kagome didn't leave school until late that evening, because she was on cleaning duty and the other student bailed on her. It was frustrating to say the least, but she had to keep her cool. Her school situation was precarious enough as it is; she didn't need a violence record.<p>

Because of the lack of actual teaching, the classroom was a complete mess, and it was dark before Kagome managed to get done. As she left the school and started walking toward the bus stop, her phone started buzzing again, but more insistent this time. Someone was calling her.

Without looking at the caller ID, she picked it up. "Hello?"

"_Nee-chan, nee-chan!_" came Ginta's excited voice. "_He remembers!_"

And before Kagome could ask what Ginta meant exactly, she stumbled upon the scene outside of Rei's shrine. "Sorry, Ginta. I'll have to call you back."

"_Nee-chan, wai-_"

Sirens were blaring and lights were flashing as a mob of people stood in the streets. Kagome budged into the crowd as politely as she could. "What's going on?"

A nearby spectator replied, "All the missing people have been found! The priestess is saying the Sailor Senshi saved them!"

Almost as if on cue, a news van pulled up and a pretty reporter jumped out, microphone ready,

And, I'm gone, thought Kagome wryly. She made her way back out of the crowd—

—and right into a sturdy, toned chest.

Both she and the person she'd collided with stumbled back a bit, and the owner of the chest put two large hands on her shoulders to steady her. "Whoa, you okay?"

"Yes," said Kagome, face flushing. "I'm sorry." She lifted her head to get a good look at the person she'd run into.

Kouga.

It had to be Kouga. His skin was much more tan than that of a regular Japanese person, and that dark hair, once as long as hers, was cropped close to his head. And those were most definitely his eyes. They were dark and primitive, especially in the urban jungle that was Tokyo.

From the way his eyes widened, Kagome figured he was recognizing her as well. "Kagome…" he breathed, disbelieving. He raised of of his hands—still calloused, she noticed with glee—to stroke her cheek like he'd done a million times before.

"Kouga..." she replied in kind, eyes welling.

He grinned then, that cocky grin that used to infuriate her. "Actually, it's Genji now. Hatori Genji."

* * *

><p><strong>DUN DUN DUUN!<strong>

**...Alright, how many of you actually saw it coming? **

**Even though it isn't actually a cliffhanger, I bet most of you are pretty frustrated and I, being the sadist I am, enjoy this immensely. It'll come in handy when I'm actually an author and get to end books with real cliffhangers that leave my readers wanting to slit my throat! :)**

**Also, I mentioned at the beginning that my friend (PersephoneWolf, in case you were wondering) is the one editing this and, since she doesn't know much about the Sailor Moon universe, I'm using my Google Docs account to tell her what's going on behind the scenes. I'll put a poll up as soon as this chapter is posted asking one simple thing: do you or do you not want an annotated version of "Sailor Earth?" If you do, I'll post the first chapter of it when I post chapter five on the weekend. If you don't...well, you'll never see it!**

**See you later!**


	5. Chapter 4: Awakening

**Chapter Four: Awakening**

**A.N./ Hello again, my darlings!**

**I apologize in advance for my inability to write action sequences. Any further questions will be answered in the end author's note. **

* * *

><p><em>Genji. What a fitting name,<em> Kagome thought. Aloud, she said, "You...you remember everything?"

"Yeah," he said, eyes not leaving hers. "Hakkaku and Ginta ambushed me on my lunch break. All they managed to tell me was that they found you before the teachers came and made them leave." He pulled her in close, and because of their height difference, her ear was right over his racing heart. "Gods, I've missed you."

"When did you start to remember?" she asked quietly.

"It came to me in bits and pieces. I probably don't remember everything quite yet, but I remember a lot." His grip on her tightened. "Oh, Kagome, I was so scared. I'm glad you're still alive!"

"Kouga…" she whimpered.

His grip loosened then, and one of his hands went to her chin to tilt her face up. "Can I…?"

Before he could even finish his question, Kagome stood on her toes and pressed their lips together.

Their meeting brought tears to Kagome's eyes. She'd missed this. She'd missed him. And now he was back with her and she was whole once more and, for the first time in a very long time, she felt at peace.

Until a new voice cut through their moment.

"Kagome!"

Kouga broke the kiss and whirled around to stare at Mamoru, who'd just appeared. His reading glasses were skewed, his uniform messy, and his eyes wide. With a start, Kagome realized that Kouga was wearing the same uniform as her brother. "Chiba! You know Kagome?" When he said her name, Kouga looked back down, confusion in his eyes.

"You and Mamo-nii go to the same school?" she asked, voice trembling.

"Chiba's your brother?" he asked right back. "You said your name was Higurashi!"

Mamoru cut in then, moving closer to Kagome and adopting a protective stance. "We're not related by blood. Mama Higurashi adopted me." He turned an accusing gaze at Kouga-no, Genji. It was Genji now. Kagome would have to remember that. He and Kouga weren't the same person; it wouldn't be fair to him to call him by his old life's name. "Hatori, how do you know my sister? And why were you kissing her?"

Kou—Genji bristled and pulled Kagome closer to him again. "I don't think that's any of your business, but I've waited for Kagome my entire life."

"G-Genji," Kagome said, tugging on his uniform coat. "Don't be rude. You're acting like Inu Yasha when he gets all possessive."

And just like that, Mamoru had disappeared from their world. "Speaking of the mutt, how is he? Is he still around?"

"Ginta and Hakkaku said he's married to Rin now. And, get this, Ayame married _Sesshomaru-sama._"

"No way!"

"Enough!" Mamoru interjected. "Kagome, we're going home." He grabbed Kagome's arm and tugged.

Genji growled and his eyes flashed. He wasn't a demon anymore, that much was certain, but many of his wolf-like qualities had remained after his rebirth. "Oi!"

Kagome looked at him pleadingly. "Genji, it's fine. I promise. It really is late, and it's my turn to cook tonight."

"If you say so..."

"I do," she said firmly. "I'll see you again soon, okay?"

His eyes softened and he gave one last stroke to the hand he still held before he let it drop. "I love you."

And despite Mamoru's sound of disapproval, Kagome replied, "I love you, too."

* * *

><p>As soon as they got back to the shrine, Mamoru stormed into his room, leaving a confused Mama and Souta in his wake. "What happened, dear?" Kagome's mother asked her, concerned.<p>

Kagome's eyes were wet again. "I found Kouga, Mama. And he remembers."

Mama's eyes lit up and she gathered her daughter in her arms. "Oh, that's wonderful! What's his name now?"

"Genji," Kagome answered. "Hatori Genji."

Souta's hand cuffed her shoulder in an affectionate gesture. "Good for you, Nee-chan. Make sure you bring him by soon. I never got to meet him before, and I wanna give him a few choice words about dating my big sister."

Kagome laughed, ruffled his hair, and made her way to the kitchen to cook dinner.

* * *

><p>The next morning, breakfast was a tense affair. Mamoru was still brooding over the previous night's events, and his bad mood was suffocating. Grandfather was, as usual, reading his morning paper, and Kagome caught a glimpse of two new headlines.<p>

**A THIRD SAILOR SCOUT? SEVERAL MISSING PERSONS RECOVERED BY SENSHI TESTIFY TO THEIR BRAVERY. MORE ON THIS ON PAGE 10.**

**PRINCESS D TO VISIT TOKYO! WILL HER FAMILY'S CRYSTAL CAPTIVATE THE MASSES? MORE INFORMATION ON PAGE 14.**

"Princess D?" she asked her grandfather. "I've never heard of her."

"Their country didn't really emerge as a political nation until while you were traveling, dear," Mama replied instead. "Their heirloom crystal is worth more than the entire city of Tokyo, and they're bringing it to show off at a masquerade ball."

"A ball, huh?" Kagome had only ever been to political parties back in the feudal era. Sesshomaru threw them often to recruit more soldiers and raise morale during the war. Sure, she got to get dressed up in kimonos and dance, but there was always an underlying tone of seriousness that kept her from truly enjoying them. She wondered how actually going to a ball felt.

As if he read her mind, Souta got a mischievous look on his face and elbowed Kagome. "Maybe you and _Genji-san_ can sneak in."

Mamoru choked on his orange juice and Kagome turned bright red. "Souta!" they yelled in unison.

"Geez, I'm sorry. It was a joke."

"Then you need to work on your sense of humor," Mama Higurashi remarked.

"Who's Genji?" Grandfather asked.

"I'll get the dishes all day today if we don't continue this conversation right now," Kagome said.

The table fell silent. The prospect of not having to do dishes was enough of an incentive.

* * *

><p>That day after school, Kagome made her way to the arcade again. She'd gotten a text from Ginta while she was at school, saying that Genji would be there. She was really grateful for the wolf demon's cooperation.<p>

Usagi and Ami were there, as usual, along with Rei. Kagome still found it odd that the owner of the arcade was okay with Luna being inside, but decided not to question it too much.

And then she saw Genji by the bar Motoki sold milkshakes at, and she decided not to care about the other girls at all.

"Hey," she said, sliding onto the stool next to his.

"Hey, yourself," he responded, taking her hand and lacing their fingers together. Kagome was filled with a comforting warmth at the contact and leaned into him.

"I had no idea Chiba was your brother," he said after a time. His voice wasn't accusatory, just curious.

"Mamo-nii's parents died in a car crash when he was seven. Since he didn't have any relatives, Mama adopted him."

"Are there anymore relatives I should know about?"

"My dad died long before we adopted Mamo-nii, so we live in a shrine with my grandfather. I also have a younger brother, Souta. He'll be in middle school next year. He hasn't decided which one yet. What about you?"

"Just like last time, I'm an only child. My parents both work. and we don't have any extended family."

"That sounds nice. I have to lock my room everyday when I leave home to make sure Souta doesn't go through my stuff."

"I actually really miss having a pack," Genji admitted.

"You still have a pack, Genji. Ginta and Hakkaku told me that everyone's waiting for you to come back. Ayame and Sesshomaru-sama actually named two of their children after us, apparently."

Genji groaned good-naturedly. "Still as dramatic as ever, I see."

"You know you miss it."

"Yeah," he said wistfully. "I do."

"Kagome-chan!"

Suddenly, Usagi was sitting in the stool next to Kagome's, trapping her between the blonde and Genji. "Kagome-chan, did you hear about the masquerade ball? Doesn't it sound romantic? Who's this? Is he your boyfriend?" Usagi leaned across Kagome's lap to peer at Genji with child-like curiousness.

"One question at a time, Usagi-chan," Kagome laughed, catching the blonde's shoulders and righting her on her stool. "I heard about the ball, and yes, it sounds very romantic. And this is Hatori Genji, and yes, he is my boyfriend."

Boyfriend. The word sent a thrill through Kagome's system. Back in the feudal era, such titles were deemed immature, so their relationship had no actual label. But now it did.

"Genji," she said, continuing with her introductions, "this is Tsukino Usagi, a friend of mine."

"It's nice to meet you, Hatori-san!" Usagi chirped, bouncing in her seat. "I never thought Kagome-chan would already have a boyfriend!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kagome quipped.

"Usagi-chan, don't be rude." Ami had walked over during their conversation and was fixing the blonde with a disapproving look. "You're interrupting their date."

"Oh!" Usagi flushed a deep red and covered her mouth with her hand. "I'm sorry, Kagome-chan!" Without waiting for a response, she flew from the barstool and back to the row of Sailor V games.

"She was...interesting," Genji remarked after Usagi's departure. "I can see how you were able to deal with the runt so easily."

Kagome scoffed. "Please, Shippou was much less hyper than Usagi-chan is."

"Speaking of that masquerade ball," Genji said, quickly changing tracks. "I can probably get us an invitation if you want."

Kagome's jaw dropped. "How?"

"My dad's a minor government official. He and Mom got invitations, but they don't really wanna go. I can probably get him to give them to us if you want to go."

"Oh, I don't want to take them from your parents."

Genji waved her concern away. "They honestly won't care. Actually, they'll probably be thrilled I want to go with a date—I've never dated anyone, so they think I'm gay."

Kagome let out a bark of a laugh. "You're kidding!"

"I'm really not."

"Oh, man, Inu Yasha's gonna get a kick out of this."

He was suddenly tickling her. "You won't say a word of this to the mutt."

"Fine! Fine!" she said around hysterical laughter. "I won't tell him!"

"Now that that's settled," Genji said, "do you have anything to wear to the ball?"

* * *

><p>"You do realize," Souta said that evening as Kagome raided her closet for something suitable to wear to a ball, "that I was seriously kidding when I said you and Genji-san should sneak into the masquerade."<p>

"We're not sneaking. Genji's dad is a government official and he has two invitations he doesn't want, so he's giving them to us."

"Whatever. Is Genji-san picking you up here?"

"The ball isn't until tomorrow, but yes, and _gods what am I going to wear?_"

"Wear to what, dear?" Mama Higurashi asked, poking her head through the doorway of Kagome's room.

Before Kagome could reply, Souta said, "Genji's taking her to the ball and she doesn't have anything Western to wear."

"I might have something," Mama said. "It might be a little old-fashioned, but—"

"Let's go see it, then!" Kagome cheered, leaping to the door from her closet in one bound.

* * *

><p>The next evening, Genji knocked on the front door of the shrine. Unfortunately for him, Mamoru answered.<p>

"Come in," he said gruffly, opening the door just wide enough to let Genji through.

"Thanks, Chiba," Genji replied as the door closed. "I'm sorry if this is awkward for you."

"Awkward doesn't even cover it."

"Ah."

And then there was a tense silence you could cut with a butter knife.

A flurry of footfalls on stairs alerted both high schoolers that Kagome, Mama, and Souta were coming down the stairs. Genji immediately stood, as he'd been taught to stand when a lady entered the room, and, as if avoiding being outdone, Mamoru quickly followed.

As if to taunt them, Souta was the first one to race down the stairs, a mischievous grin on his face. Then came Mama Higurashi, who was grinning and had a camera strap around her neck.

Then, at last, came Kagome.

She wore a strapless dress whose color was like a mix of pink and purple (and Genji found himself much too manly to know the exact color name, so he was proud of that description). From the tops of each side of the bust and slightly down into the valley of her breasts was a beautiful grouping of clear jewels, and the fabric tightened at the waist before flaring out slightly.

Her hair had also been intricately done. While normally wavy on its own, it was curled even further. Two small sections had been braided around her head and to the back, where her blue-black locks were being held back with a hair ornament that took the form of two white roses.

She was gorgeous.

Genji's mouth went dry. She'd been beautiful back in the feudal era, with the elaborate floral kimonos Sesshomaru provided for his parties, but this…

"You're drooling," Mamoru remarked, breaking Genji out of his reverie. He quickly wiped at his mouth and chin in horror.

Kagome laughed (and oh, how he missed that sound) and walked toward him, her heels clicking on the wooden floor. "Don't you look handsome," she teased. He quickly looked down at himself, as if he'd forgotten what he was wearing.

It wasn't anything fancy, definitely not when compared to Kagome's dress. It was a simple suit he wore to the many official functions he got dragged to with his parents. "You look better," he said, running a hand up her arm. "I've never seen you in Western clothes."

"If you guys could not make out in front of me, that'd be fantastic," Mamoru chimed in. Mama Higurashi summoned a rolled-up newspaper from hammerspace and smacked her eldest son over the head with it.

"Leave them alone, Mamoru. They're young and in love," the woman chided, a knowing smile on her face. Kagome felt her own face flush at her mother's words, but Genji simply wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her close to him.

"Alright," Mama continued, "I want to get some pictures of the two of you before you get going. Genji-kun, will your parents want them, as well?"

Genji laughed. "If only to prove to them that Kagome actually exists, yeah."

And so the two had to endure a few minutes of picture-taking before they were finally released. Kagome tucked her hand in the crook of Genji's arm and let him lead her down the shrine stairs and to a sleek, expensive looking black car. "Is this yours?" she asked as they neared it.

"My dad's. He let me borrow it for the night." He opened the passenger side door for Kagome to slide in, got in the driver's seat, and started the car.

* * *

><p>The doormen were delighted to let Genji and Kagome in when they were shown the invitations and, because of the names on them, proceeded to call them both Hatori-san. While this embarrassed Kagome to no end, Genji felt very proud that anyone would think he and Kagome belonged to each other.<p>

"Maybe I should tell Chiba," he even teased.

"If you did that, I'd be a widow," Kagome quipped back.

They easily found their way to the main ballroom, where several couples were already dancing. Kagome suddenly found herself very out of place. "Genji," she said, "I only know the Eastern dances Sesshomaru-sama taught me."

He grinned cockily at her and lead her out to the dance floor. "Don't worry—I lead well."

And Kagome was spinning and twirling and it all felt like a dream. She'd never danced like this before; back in the feudal era, all of the dances had been either individual or group-oriented, never couple oriented. It was an entirely new experience—one she rather liked.

After what felt like hours (but, in reality was only three songs), Kagome had to admit that her feet were getting tired. "Genji," she said, "I'm kind of thirsty. How about we find some drinks?"

"That sounds good," Genji replied, sounding a bit winded himself.

They wove their way through the crowd and toward the food bar. Kagome had never seen so much food, not even in Sesshomaru-sama's castle. They spent quite a while eating and drinking while Kagome watched the other couples dance. "So," Genji said after a while, "where'd you get the dress?"

"It used to be Mama's. She told me she was wearing it the night my father proposed to her. We had it altered, obviously—took off the sleeves, added some more layers, that kind of thing—but she said she wanted me to wear it."

Genji let out a low whistle. "That's a lot of pressure."

Kagome cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"The last time that dress was worn was the night your parents got engaged. That sounds like a challenge to one-up that to me."

Kagome flushed bright red. "Don't even think about proposing to me, Genji. I'm not even in high school yet."

He tipped his head back and laughed.

All of a sudden, a girl Kagome recognized from the paper to be Princess D burst into the hall, followed by two men in suits and sunglasses. She and Genji were too far away to actually hear what was being said, but it looked like the men were trying to restrain the princess.

Key word being try. The small girl easily knocked both men away. She then chuckled, raised her arm, and spoke loudly and clearly: "Anyone who gets in my way will be sacrificed to our Great Ruler!"

As soon as the sentence left her lips, the room's color began to drain. Kagome felt a great evil presence, and she grabbed Genji's arm and started pulling him to the balcony. "We need to get out of here."

Usagi, who was also there (and why, Kagome had no idea) apparently had the same idea. The three of them got outside at around the same time, just as Princess D came flying out. The way she was moving, she was trying to jump over the railing and onto the ground below—a four story drop.

Usagi moved quickest. She grabbed Princess D around the waist and shoulders. "Be careful! Get a hold of yourself!"

Princess D used Usagi's hands on her as leverage to shoulder check her over the railings. "Shut up!"

Kagome rushed forward, but froze when Luna started talking. "Usagi-chan!"

"The cat can talk," Kagome whispered faintly to Genji.

"I don't really think this is the time to talk about talking animals."

A black and white blur ran past them then; a man in a tuxedo and a top hat. Maybe-Mamoru. He grabbed Usagi's hand with his gloved one, falling over the edge himself.

Princess D ran around the corner as the shock of this action made everyone hesitate. "Follow the Princess," Genji ordered, falling back into his pack leader role. "Maybe you can purify her. I'll stay here and make sure they're okay!"

"Okay!" Kagome replied. She gave him a quick kiss before bolding after the princess, holding her skirts up with one hand and making protective symbols in the air with her other.

When she caught up with the princess, she found two of the Sailor Senshi the papers always mentioned. Mercury and Mars, she thought. They started yelling at the princess about a legendary treasure, repenting, and chastising.

The princess's evil energy only heightened. A face appeared in the miasma above her, a man's visage with white hair and glowing red eyes.

Another voice rang out then, loud and clear even in the chaos.

It was Sailor Moon.

She went through her obligatory speech about defending and punishing, while Kagome just looked on, shellshocked. Who'd have thought she'd encounter three magical girls in one evening?

"Usagi-chan!" cried Mercury.

Wait. Usagi-chan? Usagi-chan is Sailor Moon?

While Kagome tried to process this information, Mars let out a fire attack, obviously aimed toward the man's face. However, the princess shifted slightly, and she took the brunt of the flames. Finally injured, she screeched and fell, all of the evil energy leaving her.

The energy didn't disappear, though. It simply reformed in a green mist concentrated just above the princess, snarling at the Senshi. "W-what do I do?" Sailor Moon/Usagi asked, sounding panicked.

A man's voice, one deep and clear and that sparked familiarity in Kagome, spoke. "Sailor Moon! Only powerful light can defeat powerful darkness!"

And then it was Luna talking. "Usagi-chan, use the new tiara to reflect the moonlight onto him!"

Kagome was skeptical to say the least. First, the fighting people almost refused to notice her hanging around, and now a _guy in a tuxedo _was telling Usagi, who was a _magical girl_, to use a _tiara_ to reflect _moonlight_ onto an _evil spirit_. For a moment she thought she was just having an odd dream.

But Sailor Moon did it, rambling on about punishment again, and the spirit finally disappeared.

Using the post-battle hesitation to her advantage, Kagome rushed forward to the princess, who lay on the stone balcony, burnt and breathing heavily. "Princess, are you okay?"

"I didn't mean to hurt her," Mars insisted. "I was aiming at the evil."

"We know, Rei-chan."

Rei? Kagome didn't have time to focus on that, though. She just needed to heal the princess. If she didn't, who knew what kind of war would result?

Kagome's body started to glow with the holy light she used to heal. However, there was something different about it this time. She felt something searing into her forehead.

Luna (yes, the talking freaking cat)'s voice was disbelieving as she said, "It can't be..."

"What, Luna?" Mercury asked.

"She shouldn't exist!" Luna cried. "Earth didn't have a Sailor Scout!"

"Kagome-chan is a Senshi?"

"Just hurry up and throw her the pen!" demanded Mercury. "The princess doesn't have time for us to argue about this!"

Kagome felt the flying object in the air above her and grabbed it. It was the same color as her holy light, with a symbol of a circle divided in fourths. "Kagome-chan, say 'Earth Power Make-Up!'"

Feeling foolish, she did so, and was shocked to see that she was transforming into a magical girl.

_What in the ever-loving hell?_

When the transformation was finished, she was no longer wearing her mother's dress. Instead, she was wearing a sailor suit much like her school uniform, only the skirt was even shorter than normal. She also had white gloves that extended up past her elbows and ended with green bands, and what looked like white ballet slippers with ribbons running up her legs adorned her feet. A yellow choker rested at the hollow of her throat, and there was a red heart emblazoned on it. Her forehead, which had stopped searing, was now the home of a gold tiara with a similar red heart on it, and she had gold heart earrings.

While this seemed to be completely inappropriate for a battle, she noticed the others were wearing about the same get-up, so she didn't complain. Instead, she focused all of her healing energy into her palms.

"Complete heal," she heard herself murmur as she pressed her palms to the princess's chest. The energy flowed out into her, turning her a light shade of pink before dying down, taking the burns with her. The princess's breathing steadied, her heart slowed.

She was safe.

A handsome man with long brown hair then appeared on the roof of a building across from them. "What you attacked," he explained, "was just my shadow."

"How careless of you, Nephrite," a second voice said. Three more men appeared next to him, coming from the same green mist from earlier.

"Who are you?" Usagi demanded.

"I am Kunzite, a servant of our Great Ruler," said one with long white hair.

"Zoisite," said the next one, with long blond hair.

"Nephrite," said the one who was talking about shadows.

"Jadeite," the last one, with short green-yellow hair, said.

"Sailor Senshi," Kunzite continued, "We will get the Legendary Silver Crystal at any cost, and we will make you and your world obey our great ruler!"

"We won't let that happen!" Luna shouted.

"Stop us if you can," Kunzite laughed.

And then they disappeared.

* * *

><p>After the Dark Kings' disappearance, Luna and the others sat Kagome down to tell her what was going on with the Sailor Senshi. "So," she recapped slowly, "we're all reincarnations of people who protected Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, and we have to defeat Evil-like, proper noun Evil-and make sure they don't hurt her?"<p>

"Basically, yes," Mercury-no, Ami-said.

"However," Luna said, "you weren't part of the plan. In our old lives, there was no Sailor Earth. Earth and the Moon were at war with each other. There's no way a princess of Earth would ever protect Serenity. It's impossible."

"Says the talking cat," Kagome shot back. "Listen, I don't know why I'm a senshi either, but we have to make the most of it, right?"

Then she remembered something.

"Wait, where's Genji? He stayed behind to make sure Usagi-chan and the tuxedo guy were okay."

Luna winced. "I may have given him a sedative before Usagi-chan transformed so he wouldn't see her."

"WHAT?"

* * *

><p>Genji awoke slowly. He registered something soft under his head and, as he blinked his eyes open, was treated to the view of his lovely Kagome's face. "Good morning, sunshine," she said, brushing his hair out of his eyes.<p>

"How'd I fall asleep?" he asked. "Last I remember, those two people fell off the balcony..."

Kagome gave him a curious look. "No one fell off the balcony, Genji. After we danced, we wanted to go out to the balcony, but you were too busy looking at me to watch where you were going and ran into a doorframe. The party's almost over; the minister let us use one of the guest rooms to rest and wait for you to wake up."

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "I might just have to tell Inu Yasha about this. He'd lord it over you for the rest of your life."

"Don't you dare," he growled playfully, pouncing to tickle her once more.

And Kagome never felt more guilty.

* * *

><p>"Mamo-nii?" Kagome said, entering her brother's room without knocking. She was still wearing Mama's dress, but her hair had been pulled down from its elaborate doing. "Where did you even <em>get<em> a tuxedo in the first place?"

He said nothing. He was hunched over his dresser, divested of his fancy get up.

"Mamo-nii," she said, coming closer. "Is there something wrong?"

"I didn't want you to be dragged into this," he replied, teeth clenched.

"What?"

He sighed, raking a hand through his dark locks. "You remember those dreams I had about the princess, don't you?"

"Of course. We spent a whole year of our lives trying to figure out who she was."

"You have to protect her now. Gods, Kagome, I don't even know if we're on the same _side_ anymore! I just don't want my baby sister to get hurt!"

Kagome wrapped her arms around Mamoru's torso, giving him the tightest hug she'd ever given anyone. "Mamo-nii, I'm not a baby anymore. I can take care of myself perfectly fine. Maybe I'll actually be better off than you. Just, just don't shut me out again." She felt her eyes grow hot with tears. "You've been acting so cold lately and I hate it. I hate it, Mamo-nii. You're my big brother. You're supposed to protect me, right? So protect me. Be there when the senshi fight, and fight on our side."

She felt him shift in her arms, and suddenly she was being crushed to his chest. "I'm sorry, Kagome. You're right, and I'm stupid."

"At least you're not still worried about Genji."

He pulled back and gave her _the look_. "What makes you say that?"

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><p><strong>DON'T HATE ME PLEASE!<strong>

**So, yeah, Sailor Earth is in action now, and she and Tuxedo Mask are gonna be power siblings. And I just added that last part on there; not even my editor has seen it yet, and she's going to strangle me.**

**For those of you who are gonna say this, yes, Kagome and Kouga/Genji are really happy to be together again, but it's not like they're just gonna jump right back in to how their relationship used to be. Like Kagome said, Genji and Kouga aren't the same person, just like she and Kikyou weren't. You can't expect them to go right back in like that. Kagome needs time to get to know _Genji,_ and know him for him, not for his past life. She learned that lesson from Inu Yasha.**

**Also, like I said, I suck at action sequences. I'm chalking this disaster up to Kagome being in shock that she's a magical girl, but I don't know how long I'm going to be able to keep that up. If any of you guys can actually write action scenes, please help me!**

**One last note: Kagome will never actually _fight._ Now, before you start booing and hissing at me and getting your pitchforks out, it'll be explained later. I can't give away all my secrets just yet!**

**I hope you liked this mega long chapter and I can't wait to read your reviews!**


	6. Chapter 5: When Lightning Strikes

**Chapter Five: When Lightning Strikes**

**I'M SORRY! I'M SO SORRY! THIS IS SO LATE AND THIS CHAPTER SUCKS AND I'M SORRY AND I'LL UNDERSTAND IF YOU NEVER FORGIVE ME!**

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><p>It was a few days later at lunch when Kagome heard the newest rumor.<p>

"Have you heard?" one of her classmates whispered. "About the bridal shop?"

"Oh, the cursed one?" another asked.

"Apparently, every groom who goes there ends up missing!"

Kagome decided to ignore their chatter. Rumors rarely amounted to anything, after all. And she had bigger things to worry about than missing grooms.

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><p>She walked to the arcade again after school. Usagi was there already, along with a really tall girl with brown hair and green eyes.<p>

And this girl was kicking the Sailor V game's butt.

"It's just like a real fight," she said when Usagi asked her how she was so good. "Attract the enemy first, then catch him off-guard. Then use a special move to take him in a single blow!"

"A single blow!" Usagi chorused.

"Usagi-chan, Kagome-chan, you're already here?" Ami asked, walking up to where her two friends were.

"Oh, Ami-chan!" Usagi trilled, delighted. "Look at how good Mako-chan is at this game!"

"Mako-chan?" Ami and Kagome chorused.

The brunette stuck out a hand to both newcomers. "My name is Kino Makoto. It's nice to meet you."

Kagome shook it first. "I'm Higurashi Kagome. It's a pleasure."

"Mizuno Ami," Ami introduced, bowing rather than shaking Makoto's hand.

"She's a new transfer to my class!" Usagi announced.

Suddenly, Motoki wandered over. "All of your friends are so pretty, Usagi-chan," he grinned.

"Don't let Genji-san hear that," Ami joked. "You'd be hospitalized for a week!"

"Ami!" Kagome whined, bumping their shoulders together.

It was only then did the girls realize Makoto was blushing.

"Nice to meet you," Motoki was saying to her. The tall girl's face was beet red, and she'd stopped paying attention to the Sailor V game.

The words Game Over scrolled across the screen, regaling her loss.

"Sempai…" she murmured. As soon as the word left her lips, she turned back around in her chair and ducked her head. "Oh, nothing!"

"Oh!" Motoki said, suddenly remembering something. "I just heard a weird rumor from a customer."

"A weird rumor?" Usagi questioned.

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><p>"I heard about this in school," Kagome said as the group of four walked to the bridal shop. "A bunch of girls were talking about it at lunch."<p>

"Umino told me about it, too," Usagi noted. "Oh, these dresses are so pretty!" She rushed to the store window and gazed at the wedding gowns longingly. "I can't wait to be a bride."

"Kagome-chan's already got her groom lined up," Ami teased.

"Ami-chan!"

"It's true, though!" Usagi continued, speaking to Makoto. "Kagome-chan already has a boyfriend! He's a third-year high school student!"

"Really?" Makoto asked. "That must be nice."

"In theory, yes," Ami said, "but they're all over each other, even in public."

"Ami-chan!" Kagome punched her friend in the shoulder lightly. "That's not true."

"I caught the two of you making out behind the claw machines yesterday."

"Shut up!"

Makoto wasn't even listening. Instead, she was gazing at a particular dress, modeled on a tall mannequin. "You'd look pretty in that dress," Usagi noted, running up to join her.

"Huh?" Makoto asked.

"You're tall," Ami agreed, "so this kind of dress would suit you."

"You really think so?"

Kagome nodded, moving up to join the rest of the group. "You'll make a beautiful bride someday, Mako-chan."

Makoto blushed even harder.

"I want to wear a beautiful dress for my wedding, too!" Usagi sighed, twirling around on the sidewalk as if she were dancing.

"A pure white kimono would look good, too," Ami said.

"What about you, Mako-chan?" Kagome asked, leaning in teasingly.

Makoto blushed harder still and rubbed the back of her head shyly. "Whichever my husband would like best, I guess."

Usagi ran back to them. "Mako-chan, you're so cute!"

"Well, because..."

"You're so girly!" Usagi continued, poking the taller girl playfully.

"Stop it, Usagi-chan!" Makoto warned playfully.

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><p>After their window shopping at the bridal shop, the four girls made their way to Rei's shrine. "Rei-chan!" Usagi called as soon as the priestess came into view.<p>

"Usagi-chan, Ami-chan, Kagome-chan," she called back...and then stiffened when she saw Makoto.

"Guess what, Rei-chan!" Usagi said when the finally got onto the shrine grounds. "There's a bridal shop that has a ghost bride that kidnaps grooms!"

"There's no scientific proof that ghosts exist," Ami said calmly.

"Ami-chan, you're always so calm," Usagi remarked.

Rei scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "What kind of man would be seduced by a ghost bride, anyway? I don't trust men."

Usagi sweat dropped. "Rei-chan..."

"Sounds complicated," Makoto said then, as if reminding the group that she was still there. "I'm going home now. See you tomorrow, Usagi-chan."

"Bye, Mako-chan!" Usagi called, waving in an over exaggerated manner as the taller girl walked away."

As soon as Makoto was out of hearing range, Rei said, "We'll all be gathering soon."

Luna, who'd followed them from the shadows so as not to alert Makoto of her presence, said, "I think so, too."

"You felt her power, too?" Kagome asked, leaning against a nearby tree.

"It was almost electric."

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><p>Kagome was in the middle of a phone call with Genji that night when her communicator, a bracelet designed to look like a plastic game prize, started going off. "Ami-chan, Rei-chan, Kagome-chan!" came Luna's voice. "We have a problem! Tuxedo Mask knows Usagi-chan's civilian identity! He's taking her somewhere!"<p>

She found that a bit rude. _Sure, I live with him, but why should he get_ me? _Stupid hormonal brother._ "Genji, I gotta go," Kagome said in a rush. "Mama's calling. Love you, bye!" She hung up hurriedly, grabbed her communicator and pen from her nightstand, and raced down the stairs and into the night.

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><p>When Kagome and the other Senshi arrived on the scene, Motoki, surrounded by green mist that signified Evil, had Makoto pinned to an alley wall. "Motoki-niisan! Mako-chan!" Usagi cried in dismay.<p>

Evil laughter resonated down into the alley. "It's the ghost bride!" Usagi yelled, pointing up to the roof of a nearby building. where the very mannequin Makoto had been admiring that afternoon stood, swathed in green mist.

"It's not a ghost," Kagome said, teeth grinding. "It's Evil."

"We have to save Motoki-niisan and Mako-chan!" Usagi declared, and all four awakened Senshi began their transformation sequences. As soon as they were all decked out in their battle wear, Usagi commenced her pre-battle lecture. "You pretended to be an innocent bride and used loving words to your advantage! That's unforgivable. The Pretty Guardian in a Sailor Suit, Defender of Love and Justice. Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"

"So you've appeared, Sailor Senshi!" the mannequin said. She/it pointed the display bouquet at them, and a flurry of black petals rained down upon them. When Rei used a fire attack to burn the petals, the mannequin used the smoke to her advantage and grabbed Makoto from where she lay crumpled in the street.

"Attack me now, Senshi!" the mannequin taunted. Her dress turned from pure white to pitch black in seconds. "I dare you."

A vortex of the mist materialized, summoning Nephrite, one of the Dark Kings, to the scene. "He was controlling the mannequin!" Luna realized.

"Pathetic humans," Nephrite laughed. "You're so easily fooled by appearances."

"It was a lie?" Makoto asked.

"She's still conscious?"

"You looked a little like Sempai," Makoto continued. "You said you loved me. But it was a lie?"

Nephrite saw his opportunity to jump back in. "You humans are so obsessed with appearances, but ignorant of the true nature of things."

Makoto seemed to be fighting an internal battle. Kagome knew how that felt, and so she couldn't intervene, and kept the others from doing so. "This is something," she said, "that she has to do herself."

"Yes," Makoto mumbled, almost too quiet to hear, "no one understands me. Loving someone is foolish. I don't believe in anything anymore. The feeling of love and everything else..."

Usagi looked at Kagome, desperate and twitching, as if asking for permission. Kagome nodded, and Usagi started speaking. "That's wrong, Mako-chan! Loving someone is not a foolish thing to do!"

"Usagi-chan…" Makoto whispered.

"I believe in love," Usagi continued. "We all have someone we're destined to be with. I believe one day, I will meet someone I love from the bottom of my heart! Mako-chan, you're a cool and sweet girl. So please, Mako-chan! Please believe in love! Please believe in my words!

"Usagi-chan!"

"Enough, Sailor Senshi!" Nephrite snarled. "Believe in foolish love, and ruin yourselves!"

Kagome didn't remember what happened after that; all she knew was that she was in immense pain. When she finally came back to her senses, Makoto was decked out in a Sailor Scout uniform, and Motoki was in need of some healing. So while the girls rejoiced in the addition of another to their ranks, Kagome mended the arcade manager's wounds.

They fled the scene after that so Motoki wouldn't see them and they ended up in a nearby park, where Luna dropped a bombshell.

"Usagi-chan, Sailor Moon, you will become the leader of the Sailor Senshi. You will lead us to our princess and protect her!"

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><p><strong>I AM COMPLETE AND UTTER TRASH!<strong>

**And I just realized that there's not _actual_ Genji in this chapter. Oops! Well, next chapter will be Kagome-centric and almost completely original, since the next actual episode is mostly about Usagi. I hope you'll stick around despite my complete and utter inability to write.**


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